Why are we obsessed with the celebrities?

We live in a world where celebrities are treated like modern-day gods. How many times have you gone on the internet and seen Messi fans arguing with Ronaldo fans over who's better? Or are Taylor Swift fans proclaiming that she's the single greatest singer in the galaxy? You've probably lost count—and honestly, who wouldn't? But why does this happen? What is it about these rich and famous figures that captivate our collective imagination and keep us hooked on their every move?

It's easy to say that people look up to celebrities because they represent the success others aspire to achieve. They can be sources of inspiration, motivating us to push forward. However, these days, it's not uncommon to see people more concerned with what a famous actor wore to an event or which pop star is dating whom than with the people in their own lives. This is where the line between admiration and obsession starts to blur.

Celebrities are everywhere—on our phones, our TVs, and in our conversations. They feel familiar to us, almost like friends. We see them every day and follow their lives in detail.
This constant exposure can create a false sense of intimacy, leading us to believe that we have a real connection with these public figures. This illusion of connection can sometimes overshadow our real-life relationships.

When you feel like you 'know' a celebrity because you've followed their life for years, it can become more accessible to invest in their story rather than engage with the complexities of genuine relationships.

After all, following a celebrity's life is effortless—they don't require anything from you, and there's no risk of emotional turmoil or rejection.

Another factor is the use of celebrity culture as a form of escapism. Life can be tricky—work pressures, academic demands, relationship challenges, and personal insecurities can weigh us down.

Engaging with celebrity news and gossip offers a temporary escape from these pressures. It's easier to focus on the latest celebrity drama than to deal with the conflicts in our own lives.

But this escapism comes at a cost. By focusing on the lives of celebrities, we often neglect our own lives and the relationships that truly matter. The time spent fixating on celebrities is time not spent nurturing friendships, strengthening family bonds, or reflecting on our personal growth.

We risk becoming more invested in the highs and lows of people we'll never meet than in the meaningful connections right in front and around us.

Celebrity culture serves as a convenient distraction. It's easier to discuss the latest celebrity scandal than to confront difficult conversations with our loved ones. 
But this distraction only deepens the disconnect between us and the people who truly matter—our friends, our families, and ourselves.

We should ask ourselves why we're more invested in the lives of people we don't know than in our own lives. What are we losing by focusing so much on celebrities?

By shifting our attention back to the people who truly matter, we can cultivate more profound, more meaningful connections and lead more fulfilling and authentic lives.

It's important to remember that our relationships with celebrities are parasocial—one-sided and lacking the mutual exchange that genuine relationships offer. It's time to stop living vicariously through others and start investing in the relationships and experiences that genuinely enrich our lives.